Keeping Up With Kacey (@KaceyHammell) #Writing #Life #Summertime

Good morning everyone! And Happy Sunday. Mid July and this year's summer in Ontario, Canada has had it's ups and downs. With more rain than we've had in years, beach days for many have been few and far between. While my hay fields are loving the long drinks of water they're getting, I'm not as enthusiastic about it. It has to be dry longer than a day or two in order to get the fields cut and baled. Basically it's a cut one day, let it lie for a full day to fully dry out and then bale it. But with sporadic days of sun then rain, it's been a struggle. Plus the time frame of hubby's work schedule and mine are also interfering.

Speaking of which, I started a full time job outside the house recently and it's cutting into my writing. I'm doing my best but it's difficult to have the energy after a long, fast paced day and a quite physical job. I've resigned myself to weekend writing. But things are progressing well and I am somewhat managing. My online presence is dismal, but it's unavoidable these days. I've never been so grateful to sleep at the end of a day. Being a stay-at-home mom for fifteen years, I was busy and my days were always full, but I appreciate the writing time a lot more now, as well as my sleep. I could stay up until two in the morning and be up at 5:30 and go all day without needing a nap. Now, I'm in bed by nine p.m. and getting up at five a.m. is hard as hell. But we all do what we must. Adjust and adapt has always been a way of life for me. 

But I have bought myself a new car. Being on the road more now for the job and needing something a lot newer for five days a week, I splurged a bit and have a shiny new toy. I love it. So, SO comfortable! I haven't decided yet, but I may be driving it to a book signing in Kalamazoo, Michigan in October. I haven't looked at all my travel options as yet (and it's like a ten hour drive), but I know I'll have something more comfortable than my previous car, and more reliable, should I decide to drive all that way. 

And in writing news, I signed a contract about a week ago. Another story coming out in the fall with Evernight Publishing. It is the sequel to Stirring Up Dirty, and the 2nd in the Stirred by Love series, called, Stirring Up Glory. I loved writing this story a lot. Drew and Glory, whom everyone met in book one finally come to a head with their past and their ire toward one another. It's pretty intense, but oh, so yummy, too. *g*  I'm steadily working on two WIPs currently. One is a wolf shifter, the other is a suspense. I'm having fun with all the characters. It's a new thing for me, working on 2 stories at once, but I'm managing. The suspense has a firm deadline that must be met, but the wolves are demanding a lot of attention to. And a writer should never ignore the voices in their head. *g*

I also have a new member of the family. Meet, Toby, my "grandson", who belongs to my oldest son and his girlfriend. They are both on their way to college/university in Sept, and have added a bundle of joy -- of the four-legged kind thankfully -- to their lives. Toby is a handful, so very energetic that his "Grandma" can't keep up, but a lot of joy too. Peaches (my cockapoo) has warmed up to him some, but she misses her peace and quiet days. LOL

Until next month, hope you're reading some great stories and enjoying the long summer days. 

   

www.kaceyhammell.com

Plum Trees, Floods and New In Print! #Writing #CanadianMuscle @KaceyHammell

Good morning everyone! I hope you've had a fabulous month since I last visited with you. In my burg of Ontario, it's been endless rain, a record amount in the beginning of May at more than we had all month in April. The flooding in my area, thankfully not my property, has been catastrophic for many and my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected. 

This is an image from a friend of mine's street. At least she can enter from the other end of it, as this access is closed off and water a problem to drive through. I will be glad to see the end of rain for those suffering the problems from it. My hay fields, however, are loving it. They are greener than they have been in a couple years and while I hate the issues for others, it is a positive for farmers. 

I also love to see the flowers in bloom. Especially driving along some roads and seeing the tulips out, bright and beautiful. Our plum tree has blossomed for the first time since it was planted. We've been able to make plum jam the last couple years but this is the first for flowers. I'm quite impressed because it's really beautiful, and there are 3 other plum trees starting to grow up in the same area. Plums anyone ...? LOL 

Here are a few pictures of the full bloom plum tree.

 

In book news, Guarding His Anchor received a TOP PICK from Night Owl Reviews. I loved Pauline's review, and to know that she will be reading more of my work.  Guarding His Anchor is also available in PRINT! I'm a very fortunate writer for such accolades. Truly blessed.

Links to the print >> Createspace // Amazon Canada // Amazon US



I hope you have a wonderful month ahead. 

Until next time, 
Happy Reading!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! (@KaceyHammell) #Writing #LuckOtheIrish #Sale

It’s a day of everyone in the world putting their best green and having the luck of the Irish. Being over 70% Irish, I used to do the day up huge for the kids. Green pancakes, juice, potatoes, cupcakes and decorated the whole house. Now, I don whatever green I have and appreciate the memories and stories learned at my Grandfather’s knees. The kids have grown and don’t find the same enjoyment in the day like they used to. I wish my Grandfather was around as they grew up to share the stories from Ireland that he told me as a child, which some he remembers from being a boy and then from his folks when they moved over here. Even as a storyteller myself, there’s something missing when I retell them to the kids. Sad and true, but they do get some enjoyment over hearing the old tales.

Nonetheless, I love watching the news for all the St. Pat’s celebrations on the news, and still wish it was a national holiday. I mean, it would be great to drink Irish Whiskey all day and not have to worry about work. Oh right, I work from home at present, and I can. LOL But I don’t. Long gone are my drinking for hours kind of days. I’m not that young any more. *g*

One interesting thing about my Irish heritage as well, is that unbeknownst to me when I decided on a pen name, I didn’t know that “Hammell” was indeed a surname dating back centuries from Ireland. I’d come up with the name because it was the surname of my favorite figure skater, Dorothy Hamill, who I greatly admired. Imagine my surprise when I learned it dated back many ancestors of mine. Things happen for a reason I believe.

On a side note, my one publisher, Evernight Publishing (and sister site, Evernight Teen) is having a St. Patrick’s Day sale of 25% OFF your website purchase Friday and Saturday (17^th & 18^th). Take advantage of the sale and get yourself some great stories for yourself. Sit back with some Irish Whiskey and relax.  

Click the links below to go shopping!

 

Evernight Publishing
Evernight Teen

May the luck of the Irish always be with you!!

www.kaceyhammell.com

Writing Deadlines, Cold Climes and Comfort Food @LDBlakeley #Recipes

Holy Smokes! How is it already February? I barely blinked and January is GONE. 2017 is shaping up to be one seriously busy year.

I think I now officially have nearly a half dozen WIPs on the go (that's a bit redundant, isn't it? Like saying ATM Machine. I digress.) And those are just the stories being actively written. My folder of plot bunnies and bullet-pointed story ideas is a whole ‘nother beast. And since I have a short story deadline creeping ever-steadily, I’ve decided to hunker down on this frosty February the First to get with the word making.

In the meantime, let me share with you a couple of my favourite warm-you-up from the inside recipes.

CARROT & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
It’s like a hug in a bowl. Seriously. Oh, and this recipe makes 4 hearty 1.75 cup servings. Why arse around with stingy portions, right? This is comfort food, after all.

Ingredients:
300g  carrots, chopped
400g butternut squash, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
10 mL (2 tsp.) curry powder (hot)
5 mL (1 tsp.) ground ginger
900 mL (1 tetra pack) reduced sodium chicken broth
250 mL (1 C) plain light Silk soy milk (I've made it with almond milk too & it's delish)

Directions:

• Add olive oil, carrots, squash, garlic, curry & ginger to pot with half of the broth (you can use veggie broth as well; I just happened to have chicken on hand)
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the squash & carrots are soft (15 – 20 minutes)
• Quite a bit of the broth will have evaporated by the time your veggies are cooked, so go ahead and pour the rest of the container into the pot
• Remove pot from heat & puree with a hand blender (or, you can let it cool a bit and pour it into a standard blender for the same results; I just find it to be far less hassle with the hand blender)
• Add in the soy milk et voila! Serve warm & topped with cracked black pepper

Calories: 129 | Fat: 3 g | Sodium: 268 mg | Carbs: 23 g | Fibre: 6 g | Protein: 7 g

CARAMEL PECAN APPLE CRISP

Believe it or not, this bad boy isn’t as decadent as you might think. I cobbled the recipe together based on a few others I’d seen and, with a few substitutions, managed to cut the calories and fat almost in half. Serves 12.

Ingredients:

Apple Filling

5 large Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

125 mL (½ C) Splenda

15 mL (1 tbsp.) whole wheat all-purpose flour

5 mL (1 tsp.) ground cinnamon

2.5 mL (½ tsp.) nutmeg

15 mL (1 tbsp.)  lemon juice

60 mL ( ¼ C) water

250 mL (1 C) Smuckers No Sugar Added Caramel Sundae Sauce

30 mL (2 tbsp.) chopped pecans

Crumble

350 mL (1½ C) whole wheat all-purpose flour

125 mL (½ C) Irresistibles brown sugar blend (or brown sugar Splenda)

250 mL (1 C) quick cooking oats

250 mL (1 C) applesauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a medium bowl, toss apples with Splenda, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water
• Spread apple mixture evenly into a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13") pan
• Drizzle caramel sauce, then sprinkle pecans over apple mixture
• In another bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar blend, oats, and applesauce
• Spoon mixture evenly over apples
• Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes (apple mixture will bubble and topping will be golden brown)

Calories: 230 | Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 46 mg | Carbs: 54 g | Fibre: 5 g | Protein: 3 g

Incidentally, Breyer’s Smooth & Dreamy Half-Fat Vanilla Bean ice cream goes beautifully with this (in case you were at all curious.)

Enjoy!

www.ldblakeley.com

How many days till summer?

I detest winter... cold, short days, more cold, snow. Blech. Man, do I hate being cold.

But, there are times with the sun comes out, reflects off the pristine layer of fluffy snow and the world glistens.
It can be beautiful,
                looking out from inside,
                          when it's a snow day and I don't have to go to work
                                      and I can stay in leggings and a t-shirt all day and write.

But, this year has been much warmer than normal...meaning no snow and lots of rain. The short days feel even shorter because I swear we have been under a thick layer of clouds for weeks now. Everything is grey. and I can feel my body and mind getting more and more sluggish.

That's when know I have to fight back. My brain is not a happy place right now, which means a trip to the Fake'n'Bake  (tanning bed). Laying there nice and toasty warm with bright lights all around me while I imagine I'm laying on a beach somewhere really helps my mood.

I also bake because try to stay in a bad mood when you munching on a warm brownie fresh from the oven. You can't do it. :)

One of my favourite recipes is my Banga's Lemon Bars.  If you ever wondered what sunshine tastes like, here's your chance.  I've made these so many times and they're perfect for this time of year.

My recipe card is starting to show it's age. LoL I wrote this out in my late teens.

Yes, I called my grandmother Banga. It's not a cultural thing, it's a name I made up while I was learning how to talk. She loved it, so it stuck. LoL Eccentricity is  genetic ;)

If you have a favourite recipie and are willing to share, please put it in the comments. I'd love to try it :)

Banga's Lemon Bars

2cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup soft margerine (or butter)
1/2 cup fine white sugar

Combine ingredients and press into the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan.
Bake for 20 min at 350deg
~~~~

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups fine white sugar
dash of salt
5 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon  juice and zest from two lemons

Wisk together eggs, sugar, salt, lemon juice and zest

Combine 1/4 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.

Pour combined mixture over the warm base

Return to the oven for 25 minutes

Allow to cool, cut into squares and dust with icing sugar

Enjoy!

Kacey's Year In Review #Goodbye2016 @KaceyHammell #Writing #Authors

Good morning everyone! How is 2017 treating you so far? Are you glad to have 2016 over with? I remember in high school, as the new year started and we were finishing up our first semester, my English teacher's first assignment was reflecting on the previous year. So I thought today I'd do a similar version of that old assignment -- going back a few years LOL -- and reflect on 2016.

It was a crazy freakin' year! 2016 has to be the worst in history for deaths and tragedy, and well, let's face it, a possible leader of a country that has put the fear of everything we can ever fear into play. But I'm not about to get political here. 2016 will be known as the WTF year, IMO.

For me, it was a year of amazing moments. And this year I choose to look at the positives and not dwell on negatives. My top moments, the ones I basked in and enjoyed the most will always be remembered with love and so many feels!

As always, the top thing is that my hubby and kids all are doing well health wise. That's always first and foremost. My oldest son is still kicking Type 1 Diabetes ass! He does what he needs to in order to be healthy and makes me proud of everything he accomplishes. At the end of March we were blessed with a new addition to our family, my nephew Benjamin was born. And OMG he's a joy. A bundle of smiles and happiness. He's teething and doing okay with it, the first couple were horrid for him of course, but when anyone pulls out their phone to take his pic, he's posing and giggling and a bundle of fun and love.

In April, Momma and I went to our Meet & Greet / Concert with Johnny Reid for the fifth time. Can't help it, love our Scottish country singer! <3

Love love love this man!

In June, our oldest graduated from her Nursing Program at College. What an emotional and proud day for her Daddy and I. To top that off, she made the Dean's List too! She's always been a hard working young lady and never backs down from challenges. I'm pleased to say she found a job in September at a Nursing Home not too far from our house, her first time applying for a job in her field and she landed it. She's been there about four months now and boy does she love it! We're very proud of her. And it's so awesome that she has a job in her field. I admit I worried about that. Not everyone finds a job after graduating.

Summer flew by and before I knew it, kids were back in school. My youngest started high school - Grade 9! I can't believe it still. All my kids are out of elementary school and I don't have endless trips to go on, classes to volunteer in regularly and such. Then October rolled around and my hubby and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Again, time has flown by and I'm amazed at just how fast. I remember the first time I met him, as though it was yesterday. Love that man even more today than I did the day I married him. Life is very good when married to a wonderful man who is an even better father.

In September, I traveled to London, Ontario for a book signing. I got to hang out with some members of this blog -- Amy, Kali, Kayleigh, Tricia, Roxanna -- and it was a lot of fun. London is a nice little town. I also, finally able to meet one of my Critique Partners, SJ Maylee, while I was there. She made the trip from Michigan, and I from here, and we "met in the middle" so to speak. I roomed with SJ & Kali, and they are two ladies whom I adore with my whole heart. They became fast friends as well, which I loved because they are so dear to me. I knew they'd hit it off.  The book signing was a lot of fun and it was wonderful revisiting with readers I'd met before and meeting new ones. And I loved meeting other authors I'd never had the opportunity to meet before. There's nothing like a book signing event to bring people together.

With my roomies and BFFs - Kali & SJ

I'm with the awesome Kayleigh Malcolm

With my fave Harlequin author, Amy Ruttan

Book news excitement -- I contracted THREE new books with Evernight Publishing in October and November!!

SJ & I at the Falls

October was also a trip I'll never, ever forget. First, I drove myself to Niagara on the Lake. And it's a huge thing for me because I'm not much of a long distance driver. Heck, driving my kids to and from in our area is bad enough for me, but driving through Highway 401, etc to get there -- I was in near panic mode for about 6 months just thinking about it. (and Kali drove me to London in May, by the way LOL). I went to Niagara on the Lake for the first Writer's Retreat for my publisher, Evernight Publishing. Again, I met SJ Maylee there, we roomed together again and spent a few days talking and talking. Many authors attended, two of whom are on this blog too -- Michelle Graham & LD Blakeley. We all had a great time. We got to meet the wonderful owner of the company in person, chat with our Marketing/PR force of nature who is amazing, and it was fabulous putting faces to the names I'd only met online. I got a great amount of writing in that weekend, which was the focus of it, but well as authors do -- we chatted A LOT! Lots of laughter was heard through the resort!

Evernight Publishing Authors

November was to be uneventful really, but sometimes life has a way of surprising us. And thanks to Kali, a dream came true for both of us! (as well as Tricia and another pal of ours) Quite unexpected, Kali got us all organized and on board, though it didn't take much, to get VIP tickets to go see the hunkiest man in the world. Our own Baby Boy, Shemar Moore. And to say I'm "a fan" is a huge understatement. Trust me, the man is everything!! My husband understands how much I adore Shemar and he's okay with it. Shemar is exactly as he portrays himself to be -- charming, flirtatious and a voice like butter! Mmm, he's amazing. At the club, where he was making the rounds in Toronto to promote his indie movie "Bounce Back", he danced with all of us. Took his time talking to as many as possible, we snapped pix, he showed his abs and his dancing skills. And when the man hugs, he doesn't do it half-assed at all. He pulls you in deep and fully into his embrace. As I said to my hubby, "you couldn't get a slice of cheese between us" when he hugged me, multiple times I might add. LOL  Hubby understood and reaped the rewards of me meeting Shemar when I got home! *wink*

Sexiest, sweetest man. Love me some Shemar Moore!

Rounding out the year was a great Christmas here at home. The hubs and I, the kids and their significant others, and Grandpa. It was a quiet, perfect way to end the year. We're all very blessed and I tell ya I'm thankful for my wonderful family who supports me, gives me strength and understanding in everything.

I'm grateful for my author colleagues, here on this blog and others I've met along the way.  I have some of the best friendships with authors that I never expected to have in my life. I'm happy for what great things 2016 gave me, and I'm ready for all the powerful and unexpected moments 2017 has in store for me. 


I hope you all have a wonderful 2017!! xoxo

An Authors Guide on How to Survive Writing in the Winter (Deadline Looming Version) @LaynaPimentel

Do you realize that the mound of snow at the end of my driveway is actually taller than me? Well, most people and things are actually taller than me, what can I say? LOL Welcome to Sault Ste. Marie! haha

Hi all! I'm baaaack! :)

So this girl has a super seekrit Regency novel due very soon with my editor, and with the temperatures consistently dropping, I can’t afford to be delayed by writing in a room that’s too cold. Not that we don’t have the heat on, but if you live in Ontario, you know our electricity bills have been soaring through the roof. Keeping room temps between 17 to 21 degrees is our typical range at home.

55k in 30 days is no small feat, not to mention writing a sexy historical romance. So with this month being my version of #nanowrimo here’s a few handy things that anyone writing, working on homework, or even gaming can do to keep those nimble fingers moving and warm.

•        Drink warm beverages. Whatever your choice is, keeping yourself hydrated with warm fluids is a must. Be it dirty bean water, tea, or even broth, it does a great job in keeping you alert and your phalanges warm.
•       Take a break and stretch it out. You’d be surprised how much you can improve your circulation and warm up with 15 minutes of stretching, or walking up and down your stairs. Physical activity is a bonus and good for you.
•       Dress appropriately. I mean if the room is 17 degrees and I’m not lucky enough to experience a hot flash while writing, I’m certainly not going to be sitting there in a tank top and shorts. 😂😂😂
•        Fingerless gloves anyone?

Did I miss anything? What tips would you add to keeping warm while working at your computer?

- About The Author -

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. She’s a bestselling author at All Romance eBooks and a multi-published author of historical, paranormal, and contemporary erotic romances. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys hiking and researching ancient history, mythology, and weaponry. She lives in Northern Ontario with her husband and two daughters.

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